Hail, Haywood
- When
- May 14, 5:30 PM EST
- Where
- Haywood County, 1.93 mi NW of Shelton Laurel
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.700, -83.044
Dime to nickel size hail was reported on I-40 near mile marker 10.
Flash Flooding and Hail in North Carolina, May 14 to 15, 2009
Slow moving thunderstorms produced a few areas of flash flooding over parts of the North Carolina Mountains on the 14th and 15th. There was also an isolated report of large hail.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Events
- 4
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
Slow moving thunderstorms produced a few areas of flash flooding over parts of the North Carolina Mountains on the 14th and 15th. There was also an isolated report of large hail.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 14, 1:47 PM EST, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 14, 1:47 PM EST, 3 hours 43 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 247 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...ALLOWING MOISTURE TO RETURN FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE IN FROM THE WEST SUNDAY AND MAY LINGER ACROSS THE CAROLINAS INTO MONDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... DEEP MOISTURE BAND ASSOCIATED WITH WEAKENING FRONTAL ZONE WILL MOVE INTO THE NC MTNS BY EARLY EVENING. THIS COMBINED WITH A MODERATE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY SHOULD RESULT IN SCATTERED CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN THIS EVENING. WITH THE BAND OF MOISTURE REMAINING OVER WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWFA...AT LEAST SLIGHT CHANCE POPS WILL BE CARRIED THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE MTNS. THE FRONT WILL DISSIPATE OVER THE SOUTHEAST ON FRIDAY...ALTHOUGH MOISTURE WILL REMAIN ENSCONCED ACROSS THE AREA. IN FACT...A DEEPENING SOUTHEAST FLOW WILL ACTUALLY ALLOW FOR AN INCREASE IN ATLANTIC MOISTURE ACROSS THE CAROLINAS. IN ADDITION...MODEL SOLUTIONS AGREE THAT MODERATE DESTABILIZATION WILL OCCUR FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THIS IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN AT LEAST SCATTERED DIURNAL CONVECTION ACROSS THE AREA...WITH THE HIGHEST POPS EXISTING ACROSS THE MTNS...PARTICULARLY THE SOUTHERN ESCARPMENT. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 230 PM THURSDAY...WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS REMAINS IN PLACE FRI NITE AND SATURDAY. HIGHEST POP CHANCES WILL BE MAINLY DIURNAL. HOWEVER...WITH THE VERY MOIST AND WEAKLY UNSTABLE AIR MASS AND SELY FLOW...CONVECTION WILL LINGER/FIRE DURING THE NON-DIURNAL TIMES AS WELL. DISREGARDED THE VERY LOW CAPE ON THE OPS NAM GIVEN THE MODERATE INSTABILITY SEEN ON THE OPS GFS AND THE SREF. SHEAR WILL BE VERY WEAK THOUGH...SO HEAVY RAINFALL A POSSIBILITY WITH SLOW MOVING STORMS. FOLLOWED A GUIDANCE BLEND FOR TEMPS. COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA SAT NITE AND THRU THE AREA SUNDAY. POP INCREASES INTO AT LEAST THE LIKELY RANGE WITH THE ADDED FORCING AND UPPER DIVERGENCE FROM A JET MAX. SHEAR IS A LITTLE BETTER SUNDAY...BUT INSTABILITY DROPS OFF BY AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT MOVES THRU. LOWS REMAIN MILD SAT NITE WITH HIGHS TAKING A SIGNIFICANT TUMBLE...AROUND 10 DEGREES...SUNDAY WITH PRECIP AND FROPA. GFS HAS COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT WITH THE ECMWF TAKING ON A MORE PROGRESSIVE PATTERN MONDAY WITH THE FRONT AND ANY DEVELOPING UPPER CLOSED LOW. THIS MEANS DECREASING POP SUNDAY NIGHT...AND ONLY A SLIGHT CHC ALONG THE SRN TIER OF THE CWFA FOR MONDAY. LOWS SUN NITE AROUND 10 DEGREES COOLER THAN SAT NITE WITH HIGHS MONDAY FROM 5 TO 10 DEGREES COOLER THAN SUN. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 200 PM THURSDAY...VERY LITTLE CONFIDENCE REMAINS IN THE EXT PERIOD. THE 12Z GFS HAS COME INTO LINE A BIT WITH THE 00Z ECMWF...HOWEVER THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN AND SENSIBLE WX EXPECTED WITH EACH SCENARIO ARE AT MAJOR ODDS WITH EACH OTHER. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO FIND A CONSENSUS MODEL...HOWEVER THE GGEM AND NOGAPS BOTH HAVE UNIQUE SOLNS OF THEIR OWN. THE FORMER INDICATING A TROPICAL SYSTEM MOVING UP THE EAST COAST...AND THE LATTER PROGRESSING A FRONTAL BAND OUT TO SEA WITH NO CLOSED OFF UPPER LOW. THIS LEAVES LITTLE GUIDANCE TO RELY ON...SO THE LARGE SCALE UPPER PATTERN WILL ENTAIL A COMPROMISE BTW THE 00Z EC AND THE 12Z GFS. THUS...A CLOSED UPPER LOW OF MODERATE STRENGTH WILL BE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OFF THE ATL COAST LATE IN THE DAY TUE...AND SLOWLY RETROGRADE WEST SOUTH OF RISING HEIGHTS AND A DEVELOPING HIGH ACROSS THE OH VALLEY AND GL REGION. AT THE LOW LEVELS...DRY AIR WILL BE SLOW TO OVERCOME TUE AS DEEP SUBSIDENCE SHOULD BE THE STRONGEST IN A FAIRLY TIGHT Z/GRAD ALOFT AND A WEDGE HIGH BUILDING IN AT THE SFC PRODUCING RATHER STAUNCH AND GUSTY NE WINDS. WONT EXPECT MUCH CLOUD COVER IN THIS SITUATION...SO EVEN THO SFC THETA/E WILL BE LOWERING DURING THE...MAX TEMPS SHOULD STILL BE ABLE TO REACH NEAR NORMAL LEVELS. THE FORECAST GETS MUCH TRICKIER AND LESS CONFIDENT WED THROUGH THU....YET THE MAIN IDEA WILL BE TO ADVECT HIGHER AMOUNTS OF ATL MOISTURE TO THE AREA AS THE SFC WAVE EITHER PERSISTS ALONG THE COASTAL BOUNDARY OR MOVES WEST ACROSS S/RN GA. THEREFORE...POPS WILL BE INCREASED TO LOW END CHANCES THROUGH THU...PRIMARILY ACROSS THE UPSLOPE REGIONS. MAX TEMPS WILL REMAIN ADVERTISED NEAR NORMAL OR EVEN A FEW DEGREES BELOW AS WIDESPREAD CLOUDINESS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN E/LY OR NE/LY FLOW. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... LOW STRATUS HAS SCATTERED OUT/LIFTED TO AN EXPANSIVE CUMULUS FIELD ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH ISOLATED/SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL BE POSSIBLE JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE THIS AFTERNOON...THE MOST LIKELY TERMINAL TO BE AFFECTED WILL BE KAVL...AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES INTO THE MTNS LATE THIS AFTERNOON THEREFORE...A CB CLOUD GROUP WILL BE MAINTAINED THERE THROUGH ABOUT MIDNIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE PROBABILITY OF LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING STRATUS IS NOT AS HIGH AS THIS MORNING...MAINLY DUE TO WEAKER LIFT...A RECURRENCE CANNOT BE RULED OUT BY ANY MEANS. THEREFORE...WE HAVE INCLUDED SCATTERED IFR/MVFR CLOUDS AT MOST TERMINALS TO ALLUDE TO THIS POSSIBILITY. IT APPEARS THAT FOG MAY BE A BIT MORE OF AN ISSUE FRIDAY MORNING THAT IT HAS BEEN OF LATE. WE HAVE INCLUDED 5-6SM AT ALL TERMINALS (A LITTLE WORSE AT KAVL) FOR THE LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING HOURS. IF STRATUS DOES NOT DEVELOP PRIOR TO ANY FOG DEVELOPMENT...WOULD EXPECT IFR VISBY TO BE A REAL POSSIBILITY AT KAVL. OUTLOOK...PRECIP CHANCES INCREASE THROUGH SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MTNS. MORNING FOG AND STRATUS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY WHERE RAIN FALLS. A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA ON SUNDAY...POSSIBLY BRINGING WIDESPREAD FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS TO THE AREA. VFR IS EXPECTED MONDAY...THOUGH MOISTURE MAY NOT BE TOO FAR OFF TO OUR SOUTHEAST ALONG THE STALLING FRONT. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...SBK NEAR TERM...JDL SHORT TERM...RWH LONG TERM...SBK AVIATION...JDL
Hazardous weather outlook, May 14, 2:42 PM EST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 342 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 GAZ010-017-018-026-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>070- 501>510-SCZ001>008-010-151945- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE- MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM- NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON- CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL- BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL- RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK- OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS- GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG- CHEROKEE-ANDERSON- 342 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE FORECAST FOR THIS EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ028-029-NCZ071-072-082-SCZ009-011>014-019-151945- HART-ELBERT-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-YORK-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS- UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 342 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE FORECAST FOR THIS EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 14, 4:56 PM EST, 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 556 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 NCZ052-142230- HAYWOOD- 556 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN HAYWOOD COUNTY THROUGH 630 PM EDT... AT 555 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATERVILLE...OR 18 MILES NORTHWEST OF WAYNESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... WATERVILLE THROUGH 620 PM... SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY RAINFALL UP TO ONE INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE HEAVIEST DOWNPOURS AS WELL. HG
Special weather statement, May 14, 5:12 PM EST, 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 612 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 NCZ052-142245- HAYWOOD- 612 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN HAYWOOD COUNTY THROUGH 645 PM EDT... AT 612 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WATERVILLE...OR 15 MILES NORTH OF WAYNESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL ALSO AFFECT THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR FROM COVE CREEK TO WATERVILLE. HG
Special weather statement, May 14, 5:18 PM EST, 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 618 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 NCZ049-050-142245- MITCHELL-YANCEY- 618 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHERN YANCEY AND MITCHELL COUNTIES THROUGH 645 PM EDT... AT 616 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SERIES OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BANNER HILL TO JUST NORTH OF ROCKY FORK...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN PARTS OF YANCEY AND MITCHELL COUNTIES THROUGH 645 PM EDT. SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. HG
The radar
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:31 UTC.
Event by event
3 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Madison
- When
- May 14, 9:00 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
- Where
- Madison County, 1.38 mi NW of Faust to 1.42 mi NNE of Little Creek
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.933, -82.549
Water entered a church on highway 23 due to flooding along Little Creek. Water flowed into several additional yards along the creek. Broadcast media reported residents said the water level was the highest it had been in at least 15 years. A few rock and mud slides were also reported in the area.
Flash Flood, Henderson
- When
- May 14, 11:00 PM EST to May 15, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Henderson County, 0.82 mi NNE of Asheville Rgnl Arpt to 0.89 mi N of Brickton
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 35.442, -82.527
Cane Creek flooded a bridge on Mills Gap Rd. Also, a swelling creek eroded a bank in a development just west of Fletcher, causing sediment to enter several homes.
Flash Flood, Avery
- When
- May 15, 3:50 PM EST to 5:50 PM EST
- Where
- Avery County, 0.54 mi NE of Minneapolis to 0.65 mi E of Minneapolis
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 36.106, -81.994
Flood waters entered a home along Row Branch. Birchfield Creek also flooded Birchfield Creek Rd. Flooding along Roaring Creek caused highway 19E to become impassable for a while, and some private bridges were washed out along Roaring Creek.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornado in Indiana, May 14, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, May 14, 2009
- Flash Flooding in Virginia, May 14 to 15, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, May 14, 2009
- High Wind and Strong Wind in New York, May 14, 2009
- Strong Wind in Vermont, May 14, 2009
- High Wind and Strong Wind in New York, May 14, 2009
- Flooding in Iowa, May 14 to 17, 2009
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Texas, May 14, 2009
- High Wind in Maine, May 14, 2009
- Damaging Winds in Missouri, May 14, 2009
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Arkansas, May 14, 2009
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, May 2009
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 172463, 170397, 170398, 170551.